"Yes, Virginia! There ARE gay Republicans, and they have been shamefully used."

The late great historian Barbara Tuchman, in her book The March of Folly, defines “folly” as: “the pursuit of an action or a goal that is contrary to one’s self-interest.”

Last year, the struggle for equal marriage in New York State reached its climax when it was legalized.

Many gay Republicans worked hard to make equal marriage a reality here. We hoped that, once enacted, the GOP would leave it alone and move onto other things. Like rebuilding the economy, creating jobs, shrinking government and providing tax relief.

Gay Republicans are like everyone else: We work, own homes and businesses, are represented in the professions and pay taxes. We simply wanted equality, and wanted to remove the political football of equal marriage from the political playing field.

But the GOP would simply NOT let it go.

The agenda of the GOP and their Conservative allies is to overturn equality and restore traditional marriage as the ONLY form of legal marriage in the state AND the entire country.

This shows in the campaign speeches, literature and actions of this year’s crop of GOP candidates.

In the city of Rochester, the Monroe County GOP has offered three Republican candidates, all of whom are known enemies of equality.

Joe Robach, running unopposed for the New York State Senate, voted against equality last year. Robach proffered his worn out plan of separate and unequal “civil unions” for the gay community, which had become an anachronism in his own time. Robach also submitted a ridiculous bill to the State Senate for the separation of Western New York from Downstate.

“Way NOT to go, Joe.”

Sean Hanna, running for the newly redrawn 55th district of the State Senate against the Honorable Ted O’Brien, the Democratic contender, also voted against equal marriage in the State Assembly last year. Anti-gay, anti-women, anti-working class, Hanna DID support tax breaks for corporations, while, ten years ago, he supported the highest tax increase in Monroe County’s history! So much for the much vaunted “fiscal conservatism” of the Republican Party.

“Hard-Hearted Hanna.”

Johnny-come-lately Peterson Vazquez is running for the State Assembly’s 138th district seat, currently held by a Democrat, the Honorable Harry Bronson. Vazquez made his opposition to equal marriage and women’s rights quite public on October 20. In Washington Square Park, in front of Old Saint Mary’s Church, Vazquez declared he was opposed to such things both on constitutional and religious grounds.

“And then the sickened rooster crew thrice.”

To give the Democrats their due, State Assemblyman David Gantt also opposed equal marriage. Fortunately, more Democrats were for it than against it. Which is the exact opposite of the Republican Party.

Perhaps Robach, Hanna, Vazquez and Gantt have more in common than they know. Perhaps they were quadruplets, separated at birth.

Paradoxically, three gay men sit on the executive board of the Rochester Republican Committee. They expect all Republicans to support anti-gay Republican candidates to the fullest, from Mittens down to the local candidates. Woe betide the gay Republican who does not!

In short, gay Republicans are expected to get signatures, distribute literature, raise campaign funds and vote for anti-gay Republican candidates who seek to reduce them to second-class status within society. In return, gay Republicans are given dubious promises of an improved economy and tax relief, in exchange for second-class status. That price is way too high. It comes at the cost of one’s humanity, one’s pride, one’s self-esteem.

“Folly: the pursuit of an action or a goal that is contrary to one’s self-interest.”

Some gay Republicans believe that if they work hard for the party and their candidates that they will change the GOP’s attitude towards the LGBT community. This hasn’t worked yet, and will never happen until the current GOP leadership has gone onto its “reward.”

They had better buy asbestos-lined “union suits” in preparation of THAT eventuality!

Other gay Republicans truly believe that they are children of a lesser God, and are willing to be relegated to second-class within both society and the GOP, hoping to become petted tokens by the party leadership. As long as they don’t draw too much attention to themselves, or openly advocate for “gay rights.”

Such examples of masochism are better handled by psychiatrists than by the Monroe County GOP chairman, Bill Reilich, who also voted against equality in the New York State Assembly.

In short, gay Republicans are only useful to the GOP for money and manpower during campaigns. The rest of the time, they are expected to return to their closets until called again. Many have installed revolving doors on their closets for that purpose.

Personally, I can’t stand the smell of mothballs, which is why I re-registered as a Democrat three weeks ago. There is no logical reason for me to support candidates who are openly acting against my best interests.

For gay Republicans, the choice is clear enough: they can support candidates who embrace equality and humanity, or they can do as they are bidden and vote for the anti-gay candidates offered up by the GOP. And pursue folly.

Maplewood is MY neighborhood! When my late partner and I moved back to Rochester, THAT is where we chose to move! We liked the location; we became involved in our block club and the neighborhood. Currently, I sit on the Maplewood Neighborhood Association’s Board of Directors. I chair the Infrastructure Committee, and I sit on the Code Violations Committee.

In 1997, Tim and I even had our Union in our backyard; the small, intimate affair of twenty or so people ballooned into one hundred and twenty-five people, mostly relatives, who said “damned well about time!”

For those of you who don’t know what a “Union” is, it is a ceremony same-sex couples had to publicly celebrate their devotion and commitment to each other. It is usually performed by clergymen ( or clergywomen ) and also in some local churches. But we wanted to have our friends and family witness our taking vows in our own home. A “Union,” while being somewhat emotionally satisfying, has no force of law. This was in the days before Canada, some European countries and most of New England permitted same-sex marriages. A “Union” was the best we could hope for then. It gave us no legal rights, no status outside of that in our own families and in the gay community.

My Tim died seven years ago, and eighteen years of love and devotion ( and arguments, too ) had no legal recognition in law. It meant nothing. THAT hurt.

Yesterday, on the corner of Lake Avenue and Ridge Road, a Marriage Equality rally came to Maplewood, MY neighborhood! Of course, I was there!

The bill to legalize marriage equality is coming up before the New York State Senate. Maplewood is divided into two senatorial districts, both represented by Republicans: Joe Robach and Jim Alesi. Both senators have previously voted against the bill. Hence the location of the rally at the confluence of their districts.

Frankly, I don’t see why both Republicans who claim to be fiscal conservatives don’t understand that marriage equality is good for New York State. It will keep $180 million in New York State. It will take this football out of politics and allow people to choose between different economic programs to rebuild out shattered economy, rather than emotional issues. It is a stand for equality, and Republicans claim to be the party of equality!

So, there I was, on my home turf, wearing my “Rochester Republican Committee” t-shirt and cap, waving a rainbow flag. Some people flipped us the bird; far more honked their horns and gave us thumbs up!

I urge everyone out there, not just in Maplewood, to get on the phones to your state senators, especially the Republican ones who voted it down before, and tell them to support marriage equality. WE are taxpayers and voters, too. And we are not willing to settle for half a loaf anymore. They need to be reminded of that. And they need to be reminded that we WON’T forget who supported marriage equality, and who didn’t. This isn’t an issue over gay rights, but of HUMAN rights!

Little Delaware just became the latest state in the Union to enact legislation to permit “civil marriage.”

Well, at least it’s something. Real marriage will come along soon after that.

I only bring this up because “cosmopolitan” New York State, the so-called “Empire State,” hasn’t done it yet. Which means our state is truly more parochial than otherwise.

Our state does recognize “gay marriages” performed in other countries and states where they are legal; New York State just chooses not to permit same-sex marriages here!

So same-sex couples have to leave this, their home state, to have their marriages legalized elsewhere. Which is a tremendous loss of revenue to this state. AND to Western New York in particular.

Please remember that, outside of the Big Apple, Rochester has one of the most thriving gay communities in the country! We have the oldest gay newspaper in the country here ( The Empty Closet ). Gay men and lesbians are publicly prominent in the trades, the professions and even in politics! They own businesses, participate in their neighborhoods, contribute to charities. Rochester has been more than just tolerant to its gay brothers and sisters; it has embraced them.

We’re just not allowed to marry the people we choose to love, that’s all. And that is NOT enough. Not anymore.

All we are asking for is equality for everyone! And I, as a fiscal conservative, want to keep more gay marriage money in the state, rather than send it to Canada, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. We are talking about $180 million here! That’s not chump change!

This past Friday, I attended the Marriage Equality Rally in Fairport, just opposite Republican State Senator Jim Alesi’s office. It was in the state senate that another marriage equality bill was killed last year; Alesi voted against it. The sign I waved at his office stated “Gay Marriage Is Good For Business.” Especially in our own city of Rochester. It makes good sense to keep our own money here! To maximize all of our resources in these Hellish economic times.

I’m only sorry that it was too cold for me to wear my “Rochester Republican Committee” t-shirt while waving that sign. Because Republicans are the party of equality. Or at least, we claim to be! And it’s time for our Republican state senators to prove that THEY believe it, too. Not just that they pay lip service to it.

I am simply asking my fellow Rochesterians to write their state senators to vote for the latest bill to permit marriage equality in New York State. And then, if they don’t, to vote them out of office! Don’t send same-sex couples out of state, along with money that could be well-spent here, to be legally married.

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Rich Gardner has been writing about the history, culture and waterways of Upstate New York for years. His articles have appeared in U.S. and Canadian publications, and one book, Learning to Walk. He is an alumnus of Brighton High School and SUNY Geneseo. He operates Upstate Resume & Writing Service in Brighton and recently moved to Corn Hill, where he is already involved in community projects. "I enjoy the 'Aha!' moments of learning new things, conceptual and literal. City living is a great teacher."

Ken Warner grew up in Brockport and first experienced Rochester as a messenger boy for a law firm in Midtown Tower. He recently moved downtown into a loft on the 13th floor of the Temple Building with a view of the Liberty Poll and works in the Powers Building overlooking Rochester’s four corners as Executive Director for UNICON, an organization devoted to bringing economic development to the community. He hopes to use his Rochester Blog to share his observations from these unique views of downtown.